3/19/2013 |
Torrid stretch earns Cano Classic MVPRobinson Cano displayed all of his talents in the World Baseball Classic, crushing baseballs and making defensive gems look effortless, and he earned Most Valuable Player honors for his steady excellence through the Dominican Republic's unbeaten run to the championship.

3/19/2013 |
Mariners seasoning bullpen prospect SmithCarson Smith has never pitched above Class A ball for High Desert, so the young right-hander knows his time with the Mariners is still on the horizon. But that hasn't stopped the tall Texan from making his mark in camp with a strong spring as he joins the growing list of power arms in Seattle's future bullpen mix.

3/19/2013 |
Pagan inspired by legacy Clemente left on PRRoberto Clemente was well before Angel Pagan's time, but there is a link to the legend that keeps the greatest of all Puerto Rican ballplayers in the thoughts of the Giants' center fielder and leadoff man for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

3/19/2013 |
Puig's performance this spring too good to dismissThe Dodgers didn't develop 15 Rookies of the Year by sending their phenoms to the Minor Leagues for more seasoning, which brings them to the dilemma of Yasiel Puig, who is making management think long and hard about whether he's ready for the Big Show.

3/19/2013 |
In GM role, Alou proud of DR's Classic runMoises Alou, only five years removed from his last game as a Major Leaguer, either played with or against many of the players who comprised the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic roster.

3/19/2013 |
Despite ugly numbers, Danks feels fine physicallyJohn Danks' outing went from bad to worse to downright dreadful on Tuesday afternoon, leaving little reason to believe the White Sox lefty will be in good enough form to crack the club's Opening Day roster.

3/19/2013 |
Rodriguez enjoying Puerto Rico's rise in ClassicThe meeting between Caribbean rivals Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic for the World Baseball Classic championship on Tuesday night was the fulfillment of a projection made by the teams' managers when the Classic opened earlier in the month.

3/19/2013 |
Rockies evaluate Arenado after big performanceThird baseman Nolan Arenado has put on an impressive hitting display in Spring Training, and Colorado has a decision to make about what to do with the youngster when the season rolls around.

3/19/2013 |
Royals on the verge of serious contention"The future" can be a truly indefinite, even frustrating concept. But Ned Yost, manager of the Kansas City Royals, helped to clear that up for us on Tuesday. After a detailed discussion of the merits of his team at Surprise Stadium, Yost said: "I think with this group we're definitely going to win a world championship somewhere down the road, the next couple of years."

3/19/2013 |
Domi-nation: DR runs table en route to titleThe Dominican Republic entered the World Baseball Classic with a star-studded roster of Major League standouts and finished as champions, defeating Puerto Rico, 3-0, in a soggy championship final at AT&T Park.

3/19/2013 |
Weeks, Aramis, Halton homer to back PeraltaRickie Weeks, Aramis Ramirez and Sean Halton homered and Ramirez drove in three runs to support a solid Wily Peralta start, and the Brewers beat the Angels, 6-1, on Tuesday at Maryvale Baseball Park.

3/19/2013 |
Olt optioned to Triple-A so he'll see time every dayThe Rangers sent third baseman Mike Olt to Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday, so he'll get the chance to play every day. He will continue at third base and right field. Olt came to camp with the chance to make the team as a reserve right-handed bat, and the Rangers see him as a future big leaguer, but going to Triple-A will give him more opportunities for offensive development.

3/19/2013 |
Darvish's situation shrouded in mysteryYu Darvish remains sidelined with stiffness in his neck, and the Rangers don't know when he'll pitch again. Darvish, who was scratched from Monday's start against the Royals, went through a workout on Tuesday but the results were inconclusive.

3/19/2013 |
Big inning backs up Nicasio in strong startThe Rockies benefited from a four-hit, three-run fifth inning to break the game open in a 7-2 victory over the Royals on Tuesday. Jordan Pacheco, Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu combined to go 7-for-12, and starter Juan Nicasio allowed a run in five innings.

3/19/2013 |
Umpire McClelland gets rare mound workFrom the "only in Spring Training" department, the Angels and Brewers briefly played Tuesday without a home plate umpire after Seth Buckminster was injured in the top of the first inning.

3/19/2013 |
Where should Chapman pitch? Ask SmoltzTo start or not to start? That isn't the only question the Cincinnati Reds have regarding flamethrowing southpaw Aroldis Chapman. The other one: To close or not to close?

3/19/2013 |
Black: Focus for Volquez will be commandBud Black is familiar with Edinson Volquez's command he showed in the first inning of the Netherlands-Dominican Republic game when Volquez walked the first two batters he faced, which led to the only run of the game.

3/19/2013 |
Schoop due back in Orioles camp WednesdayJonathan Schoop is due back with the Orioles on Wednesday morning after a travel day from San Francisco, where the Kingdom of the Netherlands lost, 4-1, to the Dominican Republic in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic on Monday.

3/19/2013 |
Back your team's hoops brackets and you could winCollege basketball's main event is about to get under way, and as always this annual rite that segues into Opening Day is a primary topic of conversation inside Spring Training clubhouses, around front offices and most definitely in offices and the lives of the average fan. So we figured you might as well have a chance to win something more, even if your own bracket gets busted.